Kitakata, Fukushima

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Kitakata**
**喜多方市**
Kitakata's location in Fukushima, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima
Physical characteristics
Area	554.67 km² (214.16 sq mi)
Population (as of January 2008)
Total	54,684
Density	98.6 /km² (255 /sq mi)
Location	37°39′04″N, 139°52′29″E
Symbols
Tree	Iide Cryptomeria
Flower	Himesayuri (Lilium rubellum)
Bird	Wagtail
Fish	Three-spined stickleback
Others	Insect: Firefly
Flag
Kitakata Government Office
Mayor	Hideo Shirai
Address	〒966-8601 7244-2 Oshimizuhigashi, Kitakata-shi, Fukushima-ken
Phone number	0241-24-5211
Official website: Kitakata City

Kitakata (喜多方市; -shi) is a city located in Fukushima, in northern Honshū, Japan.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 54,684. The total area is 554.67km²

The city was founded on March 31, 1954.

The city is well-known for its distinctive ramen. The area within its former city boundaries has the highest per-capita number of ramen establishments in Japan. Ramen has such prominence in the region that locally, the word soba usually refers to ramen, and not to actual soba which is referred to as nihon soba ("Japanese soba"). Kitakata's ramen consists of rather thick, flat, curly noodles served in a pork and niboshi broth.

The municipality has recently introduced the use of lacquerware in school meals served in the city, as a precaution against possible endocrine disruptors which may be present in common chemicals.

On January 4, 2006, the towns of Shiokawa and Yamato and the villages of Atsushiokanou and Takasato (all from Yama District) merged into the city of Kitakata.